


Strange Butterflies

by jennka



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Clouis, F/F, F/M, basically everyone is alive, because fuck dying, this be a wholesome work, twdg - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 15:57:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21394822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennka/pseuds/jennka
Summary: Clementine has always been out of tune when it comes to her emotions... so how will she feel once she starts to confront romantic ones?I'll be updating this fanfiction every Monday and Thursday so please keep an eye out!
Relationships: Brody & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine & Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	1. Beethoven

"Clem?" A soft voice resonated with Clementine, snapping her back from her zoned-out state.

_"O-Oh!_ ...Hey goofball, what's up?"

The small boy puffed his chest and crossed his arms. "Jeez, Clem! How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Alvin Junior. _Al-vin Ju-ni-or!"_

Clementine chuckles, "And how many times do I have to tell _you_ that I'll never stop calling you that?"

AJ huffed loudly as he let his arms back down. "...Well anyways, you just seemed kind of out of it. You were quiet but it seemed like a different kind of quiet."

"Well," Reaching over to the top of his frizzy hair, she ruffled it up. "Don't you worry about me kiddo, I'm doing just fine. We've only got a bit longer till Willy takes over for watch anyways."

...The air was getting crisp, she thought to herself. Cooler airs mean winter is coming, but this would be their first winter with a family... a real family. They sure as hell weren't going to let that go.

"How about we play a game to pass the time?" Clementine asked. "What kind of game?" AJ replied.

"Truth or Dare sounds good, but we can't exactly dare each other to do stuff since we're on watch duty..."

AJ perked up with a smile, "Oh! Louis says there are other ways to play Truth or Dare, like this one game called Truth or Truth!"

"...Truth or Truth? Well if you want we can play that one." AJ enthusiastically nods. "I'll go first!" He says.

"Truth! ...Umm, oh I know. Would you rather use a knife or a gun?"

Clementine turns to him, "That's a bit of a realistic question, isn't it?" Not that she minded though, questions like those are much easier to answer.

"I'd obviously have to go with the knife." She smirked, "I'm already handy with it, and it never runs out of bullets."

AJ pulled out his small shiv and stared at it. "I'm gonna get big enough to use a knife like yours real soon. I'm already gaining muscle!" He flexed his two arms into a Super Man-type pose, causing Clementine to snort.

"All right, my turn." Putting a finger to her chin, she pondered on what to ask him. "What kind of food do you like best?"

Without even thinking, AJ immediately replied, "Omar's stew is the_ best!_ It's super warm and it makes me feel so full after I'm done."

Omar really was a great chef. Despite the limited pantry he had, he was always able to adapt to whatever the group brought him and make it into something delicious. Sometimes his cooking reminded Clementine of home. It was a nostalgic feeling, but it felt like it didn't hurt as much to think about home anymore.

"Hmm..." AJ thought for a minute. ...He looked off into the woods, staring at the light that was scattered with distant eyes. "Do I remind you of my mom and dad?"

She immediately looked over to AJ. It was... certainly an unexpected question.

"What made you think of them kiddo?"

"Sometimes when it's all quiet like this, I think about a lot of things. Like sometimes I'll think about what I ate for dinner. Or I'll think about the Ranch. And sometimes... I think of them too."

"...Well, of course you do. You remember the stories I told you about them, right? Your mom was a super fierce lady, she didn't take any tone from anyone... just like you!" Reaching over to grab his hand, she continued. "And your dad... well, he was a big softie. Always really sweet, thought a lot about the group and how your mom was doing when she had you. But he always put family first."

She had also started looking off into the forest, reminding herself of the memories she made with that group, before being snapped back to reality by the sound of a soft sniffle. "...AJ? You okay?"

AJ's nose was a soft red as he looked up to his big sister. "It's weird. Sometimes I just think about them, and I miss them. But I've never even met them." Wiping his sleeve against his face, he paused for a brief moment. "I have you though, right?"

Clementine felt her heart break a little, she knew all too well what he was feeling... So, without saying anything, she squatted down and hugged AJ tightly. "You'll always have me, goofball."

For a moment there, that's all there was. Just two lost souls that had found comfort in the presence of each other, being the only family either of them had left. But after they met everyone else, they learned it was okay to have more family. It was okay to open up...

AJ pulled away from their hug and flicked Clementine's hat. "It's Alvin _Junior._" But this time there wasn't any condescending tone, rather, it was a happy one. A hopeful one. "...Thanks though. I'm feeling a lot better now."

  
"**CLEM! AJ! I'M HERE!**" As usual, Willy announced himself as he arrived at his work station. AJ groaned, "Does he _always_ have to be so loud? I'm pretty sure it's because of him we even have a watchtower!"

Climbing down from the tower, Clementine chuckled. "You used to be pretty loud yourself before you knew any better, cut Willy some slack."

"Any walkers?"

"Nope," Clementine said. "You might wanna bring something with you to pass the time."

Willy gasped. "I take my job as a watchtower guard _SERIOUSLY_ thank you very much! ...But maybe you could ask Mitch to come hang out with me?"

She smiled, "No problem."

* * *

* * *

Later on in the day, Clementine felt rather antsy. She always wanted to be active and help out whichever way she could, but not having anything to do tended to be a problem. Luckily for her, she knew just the person who could help her out with her temporary boredom.

Entering the admin building was always a sight to behold, the tall walls were decorated with ivy leaves and moss. While the large central staircase had a huge window to look out from, despite how dirty it had gotten over the years.

Regardless of all of this, what had caught her attention was the sound of a piano playing in the distance. It seemed a bit rough though, more unusually slow.

_"Oh, that's it! You're doing great, keep it up!"_

_"I dunno... this seems kind of complicated."_

_"Well of course it's complicated, it's an art form! And art takes time, I'm sure you of all people would understand that."_

Peeking through the door to the music room, Clementine saw Louis and Tennessee, sitting on the bench together. But deciding not to sneak about anymore, she knocked on the door three times before opening it.

  
"Hey you two! Practice sounds like it's going good."

"Clem!" Tenn perked up, "Are you and AJ done with your watchtower duty?"

She nodded her head, "I think AJ's trying to sneak an early helping of Omar's food again."

Instantly turning to Louis, he pleaded, "Can we take a break now? I'll come back later! I wanna show AJ this new drawing I made."

Louis placed a hand over his heart, gripping his jacket dramatically. "...If that's what you wish... but don't mind me or anything... It's not like I'd be sad if you left--"

And with that, it was already over. Tenn bolted up from the bench and ran outside, only giving a quick "Bye Louis! Bye Clem!" Before basically vanishing. Clementine tried to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing, but it was already too late. Bursting out loud, she wiped a tear away from her eye.

"I've... never seen him run so fast!" Her shoulders raised up, "I think I just accidentally whisked your student away?"

"And here I thought I'd have a prodigy to share my musical talents with. Just when you think you know someone!" Louis jokingly huffed.

He turned himself towards Clementine and rested his head in his palm, "So? What can I do you for Miss Clementine?"

"I'm not sure. I... kind of got bored, so I thought who else to go to but the Master of Fun?" She smirked.

"_Oh-ho!_ Well, you've definitely come to the right place!" Readjusting himself on the piano bench, he gestured to the spot next to him. "If I can't teach Tenn, I can teach you!"

She walked over and sat herself down next to him, staring at the keys of ivory and ebony with a scrunched face. "I remember being in music class when I was little, I always picked the recorder because I thought the piano had too many notes."

"Really? I always loved playing the piano. I actually loved it _because_ it had so many notes! More sounds to explore, more music to play!" Louis sported that carefree grin he always had on. Clementine liked that grin.

"So? What's our first lesson then?" She perked up.

"I've got the perfect song in mind! You remember what I played for you when we first met?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, we can start with that! The chords are a bit difficult to do, so why don't I play it and you sing it? It'll give you an idea of what being a musical master is truly like." He looked at her with such a playful expression, it was hard to say no.

Still, though, she wasn't exactly confident about her singing. "...Really? I dunno, maybe we should start with something easier?"

He scoffed, "What do you mean _'easier'?_ Singing ain't hard! I know you've got it in you. And besides! It's just the two of us, we're best friends, aren't we? I am legally bounded to not make fun of you no matter what happens." Louis raised his left hand, while the other went over his heart as if he were about to swear to an oath.

"Pfff.. alright, alright! I'll give it a try. But only because you've convinced me."

Louis raised his hands above the keys, ready to tap down at them. "And a-one, two, three, four!" Clementine took a deep breath, calming her nerves and letting herself relax.

And with that, the music began.

>   
_Oh my darling Clementine..._
> 
> _You were lost and gone forever,_
> 
> _dreadful sorry Clementine..._
> 
>   
_Light she was and like fairy,_
> 
> _and her shoes were number 9..._
> 
> _Herring boxes without topses,_
> 
> _sandals were for Clementine..._

  
Letting out a deep breath, Clementine opened her eyes after she had finished singing. Only to look over at Louis who seemed rather dumbfounded.

"...W-What is it?" She let out nervously.

"Nothing! I just... didn't expect you to sound so... uh, pretty? When you sing." Louis scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling out of nervousness. "You're a really great singer Clem! We should do this more often."

Reaching up to her cap, Clementine held onto the brim and tugged it downward slightly. It was odd but, she felt strangely embarrassed after being complimented so directly. And by Louis nonetheless. ...She just didn't know what to _do_ about it.

There was a bit of a gentle silence between the two of them. But that silence was broken by the sound of laughter. "...Clem? Knock-knock! Is anyone there?" He jokingly tapped the side of her head, making Clementine look towards Louis and reveal her rather red face. "Uhm...Thanks. For the compliment."

"O-Oh! Uh... yeah! No problem. A-Anytime really! I mean I don't mind... it. Complimenting you, I mean. I don't mind!" Louis kept fumbling over his words as he too started to blush.

But, looking at him directly, she felt much more at ease now. Seeing Louis act so awkwardly on purpose just to cheer her up was a sweet sight to behold. The strange butterflies in her stomach melted away and she was back to feeling like herself. "Y'know what? Yeah! We _should_ do this again! Maybe I can bring AJ along too, he loves spending time with you."

Louis looked a bit dumbfounded, almost as though he was expecting something else to happen... but quickly set that expression aside. "I can tell him all about the time I beat Beethoven in a musical duel to the death!"

They both got up from their seats and began walking out of the music room.

"Are you implying you killed Beethoven?"

"I'll leave that up to your interpretation! A criminal never reveals his secrets."

"I think you mean magician..."

"That's exactly what I said!"


	2. Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's getting ready for the upcoming winter, when a pressing issue brings itself up.

The sky was of a greyish hue. Sometimes, it seemed as though the color was being drained from the world when winter came by. Clementine remembered how much she used to love that time of year. Hot cocoa, Christmas, visits from distant relatives... All of those things were like little packets of warmth that would keep her happy during those cold months. She never knew just how harsh they could truly be.

"So, where do you want these planks?" Clementine called out to Aasim. He had concluded a couple of years ago that boarding up the school during the winter was always useful. It kept the defenses reinforced and helped keep what little heat the building had inside.

"Just over there, I ran out of nails but Ruby offered to get me some more, so for now it's break time." Cupping his hands around his mouth, Aasim blew a breath of warm air to help alleviate the cold that had taken over his fingertips.

"You know," Clementine spoke. "I've been wondering something."

"Shoot."

"You guys don't seem too bothered by the fact that it's getting colder." Her eyes darted up to the sound of birds flying above them. Seemed like they were already migrating, because they knew how to deal with the cold when it was coming.

Placing his hands into his hoodie's pouch, Aasim pondered for a minute. "Well, to be honest with you I think it's because we've survived it every other year. Unlike you, we've all spent our winters in the same place every time. Some of us even before this whole shitshow started." He looked at the window he was boarding up and followed the grain of the wood as it went up and down the sides of the planks. 

"Yeah... I think you're right. I can remember how harsh some of my winters have been, so it's hard not to feel a bit anxious." Clementine crossed her arms, trying not to remember how excruciating her time used to be.

Looking at her, he inhaled sharply. "Just. Try not to let it get to you so much. You're with us now, both of you. It's not much but we do what we can to get by. Things might be a bit harder this year since we've got more people, but I don't think anyone's bothered by that." He smirked. "Besides, I don't think we can do much worse than someone who tried to eat a mushroom she found growing in an abandoned greenhouse."

"Hey! Like I _said_ that was for science!" She smiled back at him. Clementine appreciated the fact that he went out of his way to cheer her up. It showed how different things had become after all this time. It really was one big happy family.

"Aasim! Here!" Ruby called out as she came jogging back to the two of them. "Sorry it took so long, I couldn't find a darn thing for the longest time. Apparently, Willy and Mitch wanted to try and take a whack at makin' something called a _'nail bomb'?_ Just a bunch of fooey if you ask me though." She tossed the box of nails over to Aasim, turning to Clementine. " Thanks for yer help here, Clem. Aasim and I can take it from here."

* * *

* * *

Inside Clementine and AJ's room, two boys sat down with a pile of art supplies scattered around them. Crayons, pencils, a few piles of paper... they were completely set for an artistic adventure.

"Wait so, there used to be trucks that gave out _CANDY?" _AJ was completely stupified by the idea of such a thing. He continued drawing on his page though, finishing up a picture of the old car Clementine used to drive.

However, Louis shook his head, "Not candy, _ice cream!_ It's sort of like candy, except it's cold and it melts in your mouth! It's just as sweet though." Grabbing a sheet of paper from the stack nearby, he rolled it up into a cone shape to try and help AJ visualize this preposterous idea. "They'd usually come in cones, and then they'd scoop the ice cream up and put it in." 

"But... how do you eat it? Is it chewy like meat?"

Once again, Louis shook his head. "It's soft, so you can bite into it if you want. But most people would lick it to get the flavor out of it. Here I'll draw you a picture of it!"

Grabbing a couple of different colored pencils, Louis got to work on creating what he envisioned was the perfect masterpiece. Once he was finished, he held out the image for AJ to see. 

"What... is that?" AJ tilted his head, trying to see if getting a better angle would help him comprehend what exactly he was looking at.

"Look! This is me, and this is the cone! And then those three little circles are the ice cream! Then you'd bring the cone up to your face and eat it." Louis looked so proud of what he had made, even AJ had to pity him a bit. "You're not as good of an artist as Tenn." ...Well, maybe he didn't pity Louis after all.

Holding the image in front of him, Louis belted out a laugh. "Yeah, you're right. I think even Mitch could draw something better than that." Readjusting himself, Louis sat pretzel style. "Those icecream trucks had songs that they'd play on speakers to let everyone know that it was time for ice cream."

"But, aren't loud noises like that bad? Wouldn't it make all the monsters come?" AJ's hand was scribbling back and forth with a red pencil crayon, coloring in the car.

Louis frowned. "That was before the monsters." And with that, AJ's hand stopped. His head was turned downward, making it difficult for Louis to see, but he imagined AJ's face was a sad one too. "But hey! Don't sweat the small stuff, little man. There were plenty of annoying things about back then too."

AJ perked up. "Really? Like what?"

Grabbing the flaps of his jacket, Louis flicked them pompously, "Like _school._" 

Immediately upon hearing this, AJ's face scrunched up. "Isn't that the place where they made kids sit and read all day?"

"You bet! And they made them do work in class. _And_ they even made kids bring work from class, to do at home!" Louis had a big grin on his face. "One time I had to write 300 pages on why apples were better than oranges, even though I preferred oranges!"

AJ's face looked horrified. "What? No way! 300? You're lying..."

"I have a scar to prove it." 

He looked up at Louis, eyes completely widened in disbelief. Louis reached his arm over to AJ and pointed at his right middle finger. "You see that cut right there between my nail and my knuckle? That's from writing all those pages." Louis said, even though the true nature of that cut was something completely different.

AJ grabbed Louis' hand, examining it from every angle. It seemed as though he spoke the truth. "School really _is_ the worst... How did you even make it out alive?" AJ gasped. "Has anyone ever died because of school?"

Louis reclaimed his hand away from AJ, placing it firmly on his temple. He dramatically arched his head back, letting out a pained sigh. "I did... knew a girl. She was 7. No! She was 6, just like you. She had... uh... _brown hair?_ Yeah, brown hair and golden eyes. She was my best friend in school, we did _everything_ together! But then... one day our teacher, Mr. Lennox assigned her an entire essay to write. But get this." AJ leaned in closer, awaiting the reveal. "She only had _one_ hour to do it."

He didn't fully understand what an 'essay' was, but with the way Louis was talking about it, it was clearly something scary. "And then what?"

"And then? I never saw her again. I left my classroom and she disappeared! Vanished! Vamoosed! _Gone forever..." _

The tone of the room would have been a tense one, had it not been for the fact that Louis immediately chuckled afterward, reaching over and patting AJ on the shoulder firmly. "Don't worry, little dude. I won't let you go to school. Ever!"

AJ's eyes lit up. "Never ever?"

"Never ever. Now come on! Let's go see if we can find Tenn." 

The two of them walked outside of the dormitory to see Violet, Ruby, Tenn, and Clementine all sitting at a bench and talking to each other. Louis and AJ made their way to the bench, where everyone scooted aside to make some room for the two new people joining them.

"Hey you two, where've you guys been?" Clementine asked.

AJ pulled out the drawing he had made earlier and showed it to Clementine. "Louis and I were drawing! We also talked about ice cream and school!"

"Ice cream and school, huh? Yeah, that sounds about right." Violet teased.

AJ had a wildering expression on his face as he grinned. "I'M NEVER GOING TO SCHOOL!" Louis' eyes widened at what AJ had just proclaimed to the group, eyeing everyone and seeing nothing but disapproving faces. "Uh... I was not involved in that decision." He peeped out.

Violet snorted, rubbing the brim of her nose with her fingers as she tried to keep her composure. "Did you try to convince him that school was bad or something?"

"School_ is_ bad! Louis said someone died from doing too much!" That was the tipping point for Violet, slamming her hand down on the table, she completely lost herself and busted out laughing. "PFFF... HAHAHAHAH! You... you really believe that, don't you? Oh my god, that's amazing."

Ruby had a stern, but concerned look on her face. "AJ, sweetheart. School ain't entirely a bad thing! It keeps you rigid, gives ya' some structure in your life. So that you don't turn out like that one." She pointed at Louis. 

"Hey! In my defense, I'm a perfectly charismatic guy. I've got all the chops I already need, school didn't give me any more of those!" 

AJ looked over at Tenn, who was quietly watching the conversation unfold. "What about you Tenn? Did you like school?"

Tennesee's face was a little nerve wrecked, picking at his fingers, he looked over to AJ and felt calmer. "...Well, actually yeah! I didn't go for a super long time like everyone else, but I did go for a couple of years. Sometimes we'd have movie days or painting days. And every day we'd get to have a nap in class."

However, AJ's face stayed stagnant. "Well, it still seems like the homework is boring."

"I actually liked school too," Clementine spoke. "It was a lot of fun and the teachers were nice. I have to agree though, the homework really did suck!" She looked over at Violet. "What about you, Vi?"

Violet was resting her chin in her palm, before blinking rapidly after realizing she was asked a question. "Why are you asking me?"

"Everyone else is sharing! C'mon Vi." Clem encouraged.

Scratching the back of her neck, she hesitated. "I dunno. I never really had much of an opinion on school I guess. I'm pretty sure I was in school the longest out of all of you. But... some parts were fun. Like the people. But most of them are gone now" Something about her expression seemed distant, almost lost in a sense. "I don't really like to think about it."

Everyone's face's dulled down, making Violet feel guilty for oversharing. "Shit. Sorry I... didn't mean to be such a downer. I'll be back, I'm just gonna grab another jacket. Getting kinda cold."

Nobody said anything as Violet got up and walked off toward the admin building. Though as if from a fit to get out of the silence, AJ spoke up again. "Did I make her remember something sad?" 

Ruby, Tennesee, and Louis all exchanged concerned looks before Louis decided to talk. "Violet met Minnie and Sophie at her elementary school, they were friends long before everyone wound up here. It was just a lucky coincidence that they happened to be sent to the same school."

Looking down, AJ could only muster a simple, "Oh."

Clementine felt guilty for having pushed the question onto Violet. But rather than sitting about being sad, she decided on something else. "I'm gonna go check up on her." She said sternly.

Louis' beamed up a bit. Seeing Clementine be considerate like that was definitely one of her stronger qualities that he liked about her. "Okay, try to convince her to come back. I think dinner's gonna be ready soon." Louis said. Clementine nodded before getting up and walking down to the admin building to meet up with Violet.

* * *

* * *

Violet was sitting inside the Headmasters office, right next to Rosie's bed. Stroking the pitbull's short fur in a gentle back and forth motion. Her eyes shot up to the door, after realizing that someone had opened it. It was Clementine.

"Clem? What're you doing here?" She spoke softly.

Clementine let herself in and closed the door behind her, now resting her back on it and crossing her arms. "I was worried about you. ...We kind of all were. I came to apologize for making you talk about school." She looked at Violet with a soft set of eyes. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

Violet couldn't help but pull her hood up over her head, scoffing out of disbelief. "No, _I'm_ sorry for causing a scene. ...I know you were just asking a question. It's just something I try not to think about, y' know? Ever since we dealt with everyone at the Delta, and since Minnie ran away... I just haven't had much closure."

Clementine couldn't help but feel solemn. After the group had successfully managed to blow up the Delta and rescue their kidnapped friends, they had convinced Minerva to come back with them to Ericson, to try and start a new life. But the trauma proved to be too great for her. Seeing Tenn, her old room, the graves that were supposed to mark her own resting place... She couldn't bear it and thus ran away in the middle of the night.

The group tried to search for Minerva, going further and further with each expedition. But seeing as how there wasn't any sign of her, everyone was forced to give up on the search. It was a tough day for everyone, but it had hurt Violet the worst. The two of them were stuck together like glue during the entire time that Minerva was back, but it wasn't enough.

Violet finally spoke up. "It's weird how clingy I got with her. Sometimes I don't even understand it myself. But I know that I shouldn't try to hold on to something that isn't there anymore." Looking at her, Clementine walked over and sat down next to Violet. "I think we can all have a bad habit of holding onto things that don't exist. ...But just know that we're all here, okay? Louis, Tenn, AJ. All of us." She tried to give her a reassuring smile.

Suddenly, Violet reached over and hugged Clem tightly. "You really are a great friend. ...Thanks."

Clementine returned the hug, before getting up and stretching. "C'mon! Louis said that food should just about be ready now, and I think the others are going to come back from their hunting soon too! Let's go join them."

The two girls walked back out from the admin building and came back to the picnic table. Ruby and AJ were standing by Omar's crockpot, while Louis, Mitch, Willy and Aasim were sitting down playing Go Fish.

"Got any 7's?" Aasim asked.

Mitch squinted his eyes and hesitated. "..............n-no."

"Dude. You have a terrible poker face. If you're going to lie at least do it right."

"SCREW YOU MAN, THIS CARD GAME IS RIGGED." Mitch exploded.

Willy snorted, causing Mitch to sigh defeatedly. "Just... Just take the card."

Louis almost fell back from his bench simply from the sight he was viewing. Aasim was winning by a landslide, and Mitch was caught without having any pairs down. "I bet you're using some weird mojo jojo to win. You CHEAT!" 

Aasim rubbed his temple. "Dude, if I had any kind of powers, do you think I'd use them for a game of Go Fish?"

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD, YOU WANNA RUB IT IN MY FACE THAT YOU BEAT ME. Well, I'm not fallin' for it! I can build _bombs__,_ okay man? I'm an explosives guy." Mitch took a deep breath and asked, "Got any 2's?"  
  


"Go fish." Aasim replied in a monotone voice.

Mitch scowled. It was as if his life depended on this single card game. And it was certainly amusing. Clementine and Violet were standing behind Mitch, exchanging looks of amusement with one another. 

However, right as Aasim was about to ask his final question, Ruby called out to everyone. "Hey, y'all! Stews done! Come and get it while it's hot!"

With lightning speed, Mitch stood up and slammed his cards down on the table, face down. "This ain't over." He said, right before he left to go grab a helping of food.

"I don't know if I've ever seen someone be so passionate for a game of Go Fish," Clementine said. "It's almost beautiful in its own right."

Eventually, everyone had a go at the pot and served themselves a spoonful of delicious rabbit stew. The stew bit had become a bit predictable, but Omar argued that in the colder months, warm hearty meals like stew were the best way to go. Nobody argued with that, especially considering how delicious it was. 

Everybody was digging into their meals when they heard the front gate open. "Hey, y'all! We're back! Just in time for supper too, ain't that great you guys?" Brody exclaimed.

Marlon placed down his bag on an empty picnic table and reached over at his tense shoulder to massage it a bit. "Heh, looks like my route wasn't so bad after all. We ran into James on the way back. Figured we could have him join us for a meal." Marlon waved over to Louis and instantly made a bee-line towards the food. "God am I _starved!"_

Clementine waved James over and offered him a seat right next to her. He declined to eat any food however, claiming he had already eaten earlier and didn't want to take anything that wasn't rightfully his. Though seemingly regardless of this, Ruby still grabbed a bowl and placed it dead center in front of James. Patting him on the back. "Don't be so modest! You're as thin as a string bean! You ought'ta get some proper meat on your bones before you go declining any food!"

James had a nervous smile. "...Thank you." He spoke softly.

"So, James," Marlon spoke up. "How come you aren't staying here?"

He poked around at his food, seeming hesitant to answer. "...Well. It's different. Haven't lived with people in a long time. Even this feels... _weird." _Realizing what he said, James looked up at Marlon. "Not... a bad weird. It's just unusual. I think I'll need more time."

Marlon finished a gulp of food before he started. "Well just know you're totally welcome here. I know the winters tend to be a bit harsh so if you ever need a place to stay."

Clementine spoke. "So, what did you guys end up finding out there?"

"Brody says she recognized a lot of these weed-type things like herbs for cooking, so I grabbed a whole lot of those. Found some mushrooms too, good ones. I recognize them from my boy scout days." He said proudly. "Other than that, there wasn't much in terms of hunting. We got lucky and nabbed a couple of squirrels but most of the animals have gone into hibernation."

There was a bit of a somber feeling to the conversation. "That... doesn't sound good," Louis spoke up. Everyone at the table looked over at him with a _'did that really have to be said'_ look. "What? I'm just saying." 

Clem knew that not having much to go off of this early on in the season wasn't a good sign. She exhaled deeply. "I have an idea but it's not exactly ideal."

"We take a small team of people to go out and explore any far-out landmarks. It won't be easy considering how far we may have to go, but it's better than sitting around."

Everyone seemed to exchange looks with each other, not knowing what to say. "I know I said that I shouldn't try to exclude us from the outside world so much anymore... especially with the Delta being gone but, that doesn't mean there aren't other threats out there too. It seems reckless." Marlon explained.

Louis looked at him, waving his hands like he tended to whenever he spoke. "Clem has a point though. All the fish and animals aren't going to be around for us to hunt anymore, and the greenhouse will be too cold to grow anything. Our best chance is to find something to help us through the winter." Clementine looked at him with a soft expression, grateful for his backup. Louis simply smiled in return.

Marlon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah... but--" Before promptly being elbowed in the shoulder by Brody. "Clem's right! And besides, I don't see you putting any other offers on the table."

The consensus of the group seemed to be in agreement. "So then? How are we deciding who goes?" Violet spoke up.

"Well, obviously I'll be going. I wouldn't suggest this idea and force someone else to do it." Clementine added.

"If Clem goes, I go!" AJ burped after belting his opinion out, gaining a chuckle from the group. "It won't be easy though AJ. You sure you're up for this?" AJ wiped his cheeks with his sleeve and nodded.

"I need to stay back and keep reinforcing the school. I've got some other plans I need to do and it'd take too long to explain it to someone else." Said Aasim.

For a while there, everyone seemed rather quiet. Nobody was willing to volunteer until...  
"I'll go too." 

Everyone looked over to see Louis with a determined look on his face, which was quite the shock. "Really Lou? That's unexpected." Marlon nipped Louis on the shoulder before whispering something in his ear. "Wh--...No, of course, that's not why I'm doing this! Jeez..."

"I'll be leaving here anyways. I can help you on your journey there." Added James.

Marlon counted heads and looked around. "...Well, this is a good start but if we really want this expedition to make an impact on our food situation, we're gonna need at least one more volunteer.

Finally, that last volunteer spoke up. "Alright, fine. I'll come too. Someone's gotta keep Louis' head on straight." Violet snarked.

"Aw, sick! You're coming too Vi? ...Wait hold on a second--"

Marlon stood up proudly, looking at the group of 5. "Alright then! You guys can head out tomorrow morning when it warms up a bit.

* * *

* * *

After the chat that the group had, everyone went off to their respective posts. Clementine was now on watch duty by herself, as AJ was too tired out to join her.

Sitting on the wooden tower, she entertained herself by counting how many walkers she saw come by. So far it had totaled up to 3.

However, even with the 'game', she had for herself, it was honestly rather stagnant. Until Clementine heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder. It was Brody.  
"Hey there Clem. I noticed you were all by yourself so I figured I'd keep you some company for now." 

Clem smiled, "Can't sleep?" 

"You know me too well." She replied.

Clementine and Brody had a bit of a weird start. There was a lot of tension due to the Delta and it caused them to know each other on bad terms before they could even properly be introduced. However, after the events that transpired afterward, their friendship blossomed into a rather sentimental relationship.

"It really seems like you're fittin' in here nicely though." Brody had her hands cupped together as she sat down next to her. Looking up at the now dark sky, she chuckled. "Seems only yesterday we were clawing at each other like cats. I'm glad we're friends."  
  
She knew exactly how Brody felt. Being able to be in a place like this, and have a real chance at a family no less. It was more than she could've ever hoped for. "It's always so weird to think about how if I never crashed that car, we might've never come here." 

Brody snorted. "You really banged that thing up! I mean _sheesh_ have you ever even driven before? I know I wouldn't ask you to drive for me even if my life depended on it."

"Who knows? Maybe I was destined to be a monster truck driver? It'd fit in nicely with the condition I left my car in." Clementine exhaled softly, watching her breath mistify into a small white puff of air. 

"Can I ask you somethin'?

"What's that?"

"What's been goin' on between you and Louis?" Brody asked casually. But it still caught Clem a little off-guard. She turned toward her friend and tilted her head. "What do you mean? Uh... nothing _has_ been going on, Louis and I are just best friends." Clem reached over to the tip of her hat, fiddling with the edge of it as she fumbled her words.

"Well I mean, Louis seemed pretty determined to come with you on this whole food expedition." Brody had a suspicious look on her face

"...What does that have to do with anything? We're all in need of this food, he didn't do that just for me." Clementine was confused on what exactly Brody was trying to get at. But it seemed as though she wanted to drop the topic entirely. "Alright, alright. Fair enough. Rather this... how do you feel about him?"

Clem rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, looking off at one of the walkers that was bumping into a tree constantly. "He's a fun guy. Louis jokes around a lot and that makes things easier to deal with. ...I like that about him." She looked back over at Brody, who was now sporting a grin. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh! No real reason, it's just you two seem to have a real special connection. I'm glad for him. We were always good sports with Lou, like family. But sometimes you need someone outside of the family to really bring the light out in you. And I think you did that for him."

Hearing Brody say all of that really brought happiness to Clementine. She always felt like Louis did so much for her, without her ever doing much else in return. But with this, she felt like her debt to him was slowly starting to get paid.

"Do you think--" Clem was interrupted by Marlon, who stood at the base of the ladder and called up to the two.

"It's gettin' pretty late. I can take over for now." He said.

"What were you about to say there, Clem?"

Clementine looked away in a flash of embarrassment. "Nothing, nevermind." Her question was... slightly more private. If Marlon overheard it then it would've made things extremely awkward. "I'm going to bed. AJ's probably waiting for me to tuck him in."

The three of them exchanged their goodbyes and headed off in separate directions.

_'I wonder what Louis thinks about me?'_

But, as curious as she may be, Clementine had more important things to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aAAA thank you for reading!! if u have any feedback please feel free to comment  
if u just wanna scream please do comment, comment everything you're feeling its all important >:-0  
i think i'll get into the habit of uploading twice a week! once on monday, again on thursday that way i keep you all hooked and unable to escape my fiery grip

**Author's Note:**

> this is a shorter, introduction chapter. i wanna see if it gets any reactions before i go all in with this fic!! if u happen to read this, congratulations you're now 0.003 millimeters taller than you used to be thanks to me, the bone growth fairy ;)
> 
> lemme know what you think, if you think anything about this fic!!


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